the phenomenon known as the fiscal cliff. if that happens, it will trigger a recession, or worse. so, president obama is taking action and insisting that republicans agree to increase the existing marginal tax rates on the wealthiest top 2% of u.s. taxpayers. and of course, there is more to the deal. but there will be no negotiations on that big part of the deal unless that tax on the wealthiest 2% is negotiated now. the president could not be more emphatic in stressing the indispensable element of surmounting the cliff is that super-rich revenue. >> we're not insisting on rates just out of spite. or out of any kind of partisan bickering. but rather because we need to raise a certain amount of revenue. >> okay. here is john boehner, the republican house speaker. >> if you look at the plans that the white house have talked about thus far, they couldn't pass either house of the congress. >> republicans proposed raising $800 billion in extra revenues. and that revenue should come through tax reform and closing loopholes. happy new year. question, patrick, looking into the crystal bal